## ANNUAL REPORT & FINANCIAL STATEMENTS **For the year ended 5[th] April 2025** 

**Registered Charity Number 1206217** 

## Bandwagon 

**Studio C12, Krowji, West Park, Redruth, Cornwall  TR15 3GE Registered Office: 17 Pras Stedhyan, Stithians, Cornwall  TR3 7FL** 

**Tel: 07799943397  email:  caroline.goulding@bandwagongroup.co.uk** 




Bandwagon… delivering innovative music projects to improve the quality of life for the disabled, vulnerable and marginalised people of Cornwall. Advancing health, wellbeing and providing a future of hope, happiness, friendships and life skills. 

**Bandwagon is a Cornish based music charity, created just a year ago, to improve the health, wellbeing and skills of the disabled, vulnerable and marginalised people across Cornwall… one of the poorest regions in Europe where many live on the edge of poverty, ill health and isolation.** 

**Employing a range of innovative music projects, delivered by highly skilled practitioners, we aim to create personal development pathways, designed to improve/secure future prospects and increase opportunities for self support and achievement.** 



Welcome from Founder and General Manager... 


**I am very pleased to report a very successful first year for BANDWAGON. When we embarked on this journey, none of us really knew what to expect. We focused strongly on our charity objectives and endeavoured to meet these goals. As the year progressed it became very clear that the need for our services exceeded our expectations, with many more people suffering from exclusion, isolation and underfunding.** 

**Our team of dedicated musicians, facilitators and volunteers have created a series of imaginative and dynamic projects which we have delivered to a wide audience across mid Cornwall. These have been very well-received and engaged with by all.** 

**Over the next two years we have plans to expand our reach to further parts of the County, East and West. We are pleased to have been able to help people with a diverse range of problems such as physical and additional learning needs, neurodiversities, dementia sufferers and those struggling with their mental health.** 

**We look forward to continue expanding our services to help more people across Cornwall.** 

Caroline Goulding 



## Introduction 

**The trustees are pleased to present their annual report together with the financial statements of the charity for the period ended 5[th] April 2025.** 

**The financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Memorandum and Articles of Association, and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015).** 

## **Reference and Administrative Details of the Charity, its Trustees and Advisors** 

## Appointment of Trustees 

**Trustees are appointed for their individual knowledge, experience and skills that are considered essential to ensure the charity’s effective administration and its continued sustainability, growth and development. Trustees are appointed by the Board of Trustees in a properly convened meeting.  There are no ‘connected persons’.  There are no person’s carrying out business in partnership with the charity trustees.** 

**Trustees are also screened using a needs and skill sets assessment. This approach enables us to:** 

**Charity Name BANDWAGON** 

**Constitutional form Charitable Incorporated Organisation (foundation model)** 

**Registered Charity No. 1206217** 

- **a) Ensure we have the right skills mix on the Board to meet the administrative needs of the charity.** 

- **b) Ensure we do have a range of Trustees from diverse professional backgrounds to build knowledge and skills.** 

- **c) Mitigate any potential risks or threats to the charity, as far as possible; and** 

**Operational address 17 Pras Stedhyan Stithians Cornwall TR3 7FL** 

**Trustees Claire Roberts Chair Keely Ricketts Secretary Benjamin Goulding Marcus Otero Roberts** 

**Bankers Lloyds Bank PLC 25 Gresham Street London EC2V 7HN** 

**d) Reduce, as far as is possible, the potential for any conflicts of interest with each Trustee and their existing professional occupations.** 

## Additional Governance information 

**The first Trustees have created a Trustee Agreement which also states our Quality Standards and our Code of Conduct.  This ensures that all Trustees are aware of our expectations of them. There are a number of quality standards that we felt are applicable to BANDWAGON as an organisation as well as to its Trustees and Staff. These are:** 

- **Good Trustee Guide** 

- **The Charity Governance Code** 

- **The Nolan Principles of Public Life** 

- **Codes of conduct for Trustees (based on the Nolan Principles)** 

- **Trustees and Management Committee – National Occupational Standards** 

## How the charity is constituted 

**Charitable Incorporated Organisation - Foundation Model - whereby the only voting members are the charity Trustees.  We have adopted the Charity Commissions Model Constitution to ensure we comply with the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and the General Regulations. This helps us to ensure we:** 

**All of the above have been taken into consideration in:** 

   - **Structuring the Governance model** 

   - **Stating the responsibilities of Trustees** 

   - **Setting out a ‘Statement of Intent’ pertaining to Governance and setting priorities for the Board** 

   - **Stating our behavioural expectations of Trustees, staff volunteers and partners;** 

- **Reflect recommended best practice; and** 

- **Are legally compliant** 

- **Establishing a framework to enable Trustees to perform their duties competently, confidently and professionally;** 

- **Telling Trustees what they need to know to do their job well.** 



## Objectives and Activities 

## **The primary charitable objects as defined by our constitution are:** 

## Main Activities 

## Sound Safari 

**FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT, TO RELIEVE THOSE WHO ARE IN NEED BY REASON OF ILL-HEALTH OR DISABILITY (AND AS A RESULT MAY SUFFER FROM FINANCIAL HARDSHIP AND ISOLATION) IN CORNWALL BY THE PROVISION OF MUSIC-BASED ACTIVITIES.** 

**An innovative multi sensory experience created for all ages and abilities, designed as an introduction to making music and experimenting with sound, supported by the very latest technology. These sessions are often people’s first taste of playing music and therefore by making it a fun and memorable experience, we remove their fears and inhibitions, opening them up to exploring their creativity.** 

## Year 1 objectives 

- **Establish and refine a series of innovative music projects designed to engage with and accommodate diverse groups** 

- **Identify and contact specific groups and individuals in need within mid Cornwall** 

- **Develop relationships with existing care providers to maximise effective delivery of services** 

- **Develop an achievable calender of projects and events with those contacted** 

- **Deliver meaningful music projects, tailored to their specific needs** 

- **Achieve the highest positive outcomes for those taking part in our activities** 

- **Create a robust and effective structure for the charity** 

**We make every session an adventure, taking participants on an exciting musical journey, discovering the many amazing ways they can use the equipment to make sounds and music. Participants gain a tremendous sense of achievement from this process and the positive effects will benefit other areas of their lives, long into the future.** 

## Song Sandwich 

**This is an activity over two sessions. The group is split into groups, each group taking it in turns to choose the music style, write the lyrics and create the visual backgrounds for the video.  In the second session participants will sing and perform the song for the video.  This brings out hidden talents, working with others, and after editing they will all get to see the finished video.** 

## Year 2 and 3 objectives 

## Club Sandwich 

- **Widen the charity’s reach to cover a broader geographical area** 

- **Deliver our music services to a broader audience within current and targeted geographical areas** 

**Designed to give clients a sociable fun packed clubbing style event where everyone can enjoy multiple activities such as  dancing, singing, Djing and filming using technology for a fully immersive experience.** 

- **Recruit additional music facilitators and volunteers to enable increased delivery** 

- **Develop and broaden our funding strategies to ensure charity security** 

- **Increase awareness for the charity and our work** 

**Our main focus for the first year has been to establish Bandwagon as a workable charity, delivering effective and meaningful projects to groups and individuals within mid Cornwall. Because we take our projects ‘on the road’ we have had to primarily (for logistical reasons) target residential/care facilities where larger groups are located in one place. We also hired village halls and community centres where we could invite local people to attend special sessions.** 

**During the next two years we aim to broaden our reach to cover a larger area of Cornwall with a goal to cover the whole of Cornwall by 2028. We also aim to accommodate a more diverse range clients through expanding our service portfolio and increasing staff and volunteer levels.** 

**To ensure we continue with these plans, we have also put in place a robust funding strategy which has been designed to widen our current funding streams together with an ambitious promotion/awareness campaign. We are also streamlining and improving our projects to make them more cost effective to deliver and provide even greater outcomes/results.** 

## Community Projects 

**Bandwagon has often had commissions for one off events, where individual clients who have particular skills have been asked to perform and showcase their work.  For example, we have had guitarists or singers who have collaborated with other charities to create videos shown at a cinema or as part of a museum exhibition.** 

## Drop-in Sessions 

**We hire different venues across Cornwall to allow accessibility to more people, these sessions are open to everyone. Held in community spaces in villages or towns, participants have a chance to try out a wide range of traditional and technology based musical equipment.** 

## Personal Development 

**We focus on individual needs, working towards positive outcomes in terms of music skills and developing confidence, self esteem and self expression. Tutors employ a wide range of musical equipment ranging from acoustic instruments through to specially developed electronic devices for the visually or hearing impaired,  which allow for greater access to learning.** 



## Sound Safari... 

We make every session an adventure, taking participants on an exciting musical journey, discovering the many amazing ways they Bandwagonhbeibibwbfqibfqwibfqwibqiwbiqwbiqwbiqwbfibqwifbqwiofbqwie can use the equipment to make sounds and music. bfio 



_We remove fears and inhibitions, opening them up to exploring their inner creativity_ 




## Song Sandwich... 

A pioneering new project from Bandwagon which encompasses all aspects of song production from developing the initial concept through to the final music video. 




_Promoting teamwork, confidence, creativity and helping hidden talents to emerge and blossom_ 



## Club Sandwich... 

Bringing people together to run their own social event in an exciting immersive club setting through DJing, video making, dancing and singing and lots of fun – the key to promoting interaction and friendships. 



## Community Projects... 

The local community is at the heart of everything we do. Through our work, many of our clients are given the opportunity to perform at local events which not only showcases their achievements but also promotes social inclusion. 

_We generate a community spirit which leads to better understanding and compassion_ 





## Drop-in Sessions... 

Taking our projects out to local venues allows us to open the door to everyone, whatever their need in more remote areas of Cornwall. A wide range of accessible equipment is always available along with qualified music facilitators. 



_Making music accessible to more people across Cornwall_ 



## Personal Development... 

We focus on the needs of the individual and try to develop pathways for personal development within all aspects of our work. Where talent and a desire to achieve appear we can create one to one programmes to accommodate their ambitions. 

_Helping to develop personal dreams and ambitions_ 






## Statement on Public Benefit 

**We are extremely grateful to have been awarded the levels of funding that we have, to enable the charity to deliver its services. Thank you to all our funders for your belief and confidence in our capability to deliver.  We hope we have made you proud. We channel our charitable objects into everything we do and use them to focus our project planning to ensure the best possible outcomes for our clients. Bandwagon has embarked on a huge mission with incredibly ambitious targets. Since beginning our work, we have Although we have only just completed our first year and have very limited resources and funding, we are determined to increase to amount of help we can bring to many disadvantaged across Cornwall.** 

_Focussed on making a meaningful and long lasting difference to people_ 

**It must be remembered that our philosophy in terms of those we help, is very much focused on making a meaningful and long lasting difference to people rather than striving for larger numbers but making less of an impact on their lives.** 

**Cornwall offers a unique set of demographics with a unique set of problems which are deep routed. Any charitable service operating within Cornwall cannot succeed with anything other than a highly focused policy. People need to be engaged on a regular/ongoing basis to ensure a positive outcome. We hope that our smaller reach in terms of numbers are fully understood in the context of the environment in which we work.** 

**We continue to progress our growth and development and are expanding our impact locally. Even with our limited financial resources we have been able to develop and deliver a wide range of activities which are now making a real difference to the clients we exist to serve.** 

## Care Homes 

**We have worked with many people in this sector including those with dementia and the elderly. The knowledge and expertise of these care providers help us to adapt and tailor our sessions to specifically meet the needs of the participants.** 

## Day Centres 

**We have developed relationships with local centres providing care for special needs such as autism, cerebral palsy, mental illness and blindness, working in partnership to deliver special projects and workshops, complimenting their existing programme of activities.** 

## Community Centres and Village Halls 

**These facilities have enabled us to work with a diverse group of people within local communities ranging from single parents to the isolated or lonely. The sessions have been run on an invitation or drop-in basis, giving a greater level of accessibility for those who wish to attend.** 

**All Bandwagon projects and sessions are run by experienced musicians and volunteers, with additional help from support workers who are either carers or parents. A huge amount of planning and consultation goes in to each activity to ensure the individual needs of the participants are met by the correct level of support for maximum benefit, unlocking their true creative potential.** 



## Outcomes and Achievements 

_**“We are a small but busy day centre for adults with additional needs. We work with a wide variety of disabilities ranging from mild learning difficulties, cerebral palsy, mental illness, autism, blindness and dementia. We were lucky enough to be approached by Bandwagon who visited the centre with a view to deliver accessible music workshops to our service users.**_ 

_**Their approach to the sessions was fun, professional and meaningful. We as a team were very impressed by the inclusivity and accessibility of the sessions. The facilitators Stuart, Jon, Caroline and Amy engaged all of our service users in creating musical pieces. The sessions were really quite moving and impactful. The guys were able to perform their work at our annual open day to their families and friends and members of the public. Their sessions here at Drym Valley was called ‘Sound Safari’ as part of the Bandwagon project.**_ 

_**We as a team fully endorse their work as a community based music charity. All members have been a pleasure to work with”**_ 

_Every session we witness the incredible power of music_ 

## Lynn Roberts, Manager of Drym Valley Centre 

## An increase in communication skills 

_**“when I sing, my true voice comes out of me”**_ Alice 

## An improvement in mood and emotional regulation 

_**“Music makes me feel happy and it takes me to another place”**_ Rory 

## Enhanced cognitive functioning 

_**“playing the guitar has helped my hand and fingers work better”**_ Oliver 

## Boosting physical abilities 

_**“I’ve started dancing more since Bandwagons events and it’s helped me a lot”**_ Katy 

## self expression and creativity 

_**“I can now stand on stage and sing to people – I never thought I would”**_ Craig 

## Improved social skills 

_**“I’ve made new friends through Bandwagon which is great”**_ James 

**The feedback we have received, clearly shows the difference they say we have made to them and evidences that we are getting things right. Listening to them helps to guide the next steps in their musical journey of self development and achievement.** 

**Every session we witness the incredible power of music. Some people who are non verbal have sung in front of an audience,  Physically disabled people who struggle with everyday tasks have managed to play musical instruments and perform some with mental illness and dementia have engaged with a group activity for the first time in years.** 



## Volunteers 

**Additionally, we created a number of volunteer roles that were filled by 7 volunteers whose support has helped us to achieve so much in 2024/25. Collectively they contributed almost 1050 volunteer hours calculated via their individual time sheets. Their time and commitment to the charity has an equitable financial value of £18,900.00.** 

**The Trustees wish to thank our volunteers for generously giving their time, dedication and skills.  We cannot do this without you.** 

## Reserves Policy 

**Bandwagon has maintained a small level of free reserves (unrestricted funds not invested in fixed assets) currently £500 aimed at meeting the working capital requirements of the charity in the event of a significant drop in funding.** 

## Grants and Commissioning 

**During 2024/25 we were extremely pleased to have been awarded funding from the following organisations:** 

**National Lottery Community Fund £20,000 Cornwall Community Fund £1,000** 

## Public Donations 

**Public donations can be made via the following portals** 

- **Our website (using a donate button)** 

- **Paypal Giving – whereby purchasers are asked to make a small donation** 

- **Donations boxes – in various locations** 

- **Occasionally, donations are submitted to the office by cheque** 

## Fundraising Strategy 

**Our aim during 2025/26 is to broaden our fundraising activities to ensure the charity is more financially robust and less reliant on larger grant providers. We intend to implement a strong publicity campaign during 2025/26 to give Bandwagon a higher public profile, leading to a greater awareness amongst potential funders and donors.** 

**Approved by the Trustees on 20/07/2025 and signed on their behalf by:** 

Claire Roberts **(Chair)    20/07/2025** 




## Statement of Financial Activities 

For the period 16[th] December 2023 to 5[th ] April 2025 

|For the period 16December 2023 to 5 April 2|025|025||
|---|---|---|---|
|**Income from:**<br>Donations and legacies<br>Grants<br>**Total income**<br>**Expenditure on:**<br>Charitable activities and operational costs<br>Staff costs<br>**Total expenditure**<br>**Net Income/ (Expenditure) for the year**<br>Fund balance brought forward at 16.12.2023<br>Transfer between funds<br>**Balance carried forward at 05.04.2025**|**Unrestricted**<br>**Restricted**<br>**Total**<br>**Funds**<br>**Funds**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>2,130<br>-<br>2,130<br>-<br>20,000<br>20,000<br>**2,130**<br>**20,000**<br>**22,130**<br>-<br>5,871<br>5,871<br>-<br>4,468<br>4,468|||
|||||
|||2,130<br>-<br>2,130<br>-<br>20,000<br>20,000||
|||**2,130**<br>**20,000**<br>**22,130**||
|||-<br>5,871<br>5,871<br>-<br>4,468<br>4,468||
|||-<br>10,339<br>10,339||
|||||
|||2,130<br>9,661<br>11,791||
|||-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-||
|||2,130<br>9,661<br>11,791||
|||||



## **Statement of assets and liabilities at 05.04.2025** 

|**Statement of assets and liabilities at 05.04.2025**||
|---|---|
||**£**|
|**Current assets**||
|Cash at bank|11,791|
|**Total current assets**|11,791|
|Creditors – amounts falling due within one year|-|
|**Net assets**|11,791|
|**Funds of the Charity**||
|Restricted|9,661|
|Unrestricted|2,130|
|**Total Funds**|11,791|
|||